Paignton Zoo Paignton Zoo news 2024

Dr. Loxodonta said:
Yes, Paignton seems to be in a rather bad situation currently, with more and more of the zoo closing. I wonder how the Masterplan is going to carry on whilst the zoo is in such a time?
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My issue here, as it’s always been & one that I’ve been transparent about is…., WHAT Masterplan? There was one released in two adhoc meetings for members last winter (that had approximately a weeks notice) with a member of management. At this meeting, members were asked not to share what they were shown & talked to about, although there were ‘whispers’ of multiple Eden type zone habitats.
All whilst much of the zoo lay derelict and current enclosures were being erased from the zoo map and species - namely birds & reptiles - being sent out to ‘new homes’ em-masse!
 
TriUK said:
……, all that being said, we have to give the new custodians of the zoo (The Trustees) a chance to get the zoo back on track.
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The same Trustees who have been there all along, agreeing to all that’s been happening…
 
polarbear said:
The same Trustees who have been there all along, agreeing to all that’s been happening…
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Bang on the money. Unless they hire externally, with someone with actual experience in these situations and zoos of this size. Nothing will change.
 
TriUK said:
although there were ‘whispers’ of multiple Eden type zone habitats.
All whilst much of the zoo lay derelict and current enclosures were being erased from the zoo map and species - namely birds & reptiles - being sent out to ‘new homes’ em-masse!
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The phrase 'pie in the sky' springs to mind there.... Very sad to hear the Cassowaries are leaving/have left but I imagine under the current circumstances there is a lot of 'triage' like this going on. I hope this doesn't extend to Newquay too as this smaller site can't really support such decisions and still hide the reduced/empty enclosures in the same way a larger site like Paignton can- partly at least.
 
Pertinax said:
The phrase 'pie in the sky' springs to mind here.... Very sad to hear the Cassowaries are leaving/have left but I imagine under the current circumstances there is a lot of 'triage' like this going on. I hope this doesn't extend to Newquay too as this smaller site can't really support such decisions and still hide the reduced/empty enclosures in the same way a larger site like Paignton can- partly at least.
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Have you visited Newquay recently? Sister site in name and nature.
 
….., however…., the new refurbed Binturong house and surrounding area looks absolutely fantastic and the new Monkey Heights boardwalk section also looks great, so well done to all departments on those fronts!
The wild flowers between the Flamingos & Pileated Gibbons look stunningly beautiful.
Have the Red Crowned Cranes left the collection, as they’re missed on that lake.
 
TriUK said:
….., however…., the new refurbed Binturong house and surrounding area looks absolutely fantastic and the new Monkey Heights boardwalk section also looks great, so well done to all departments on those fronts!
The wild flowers between the Flamingos & Pileated Gibbons look stunningly beautiful.
Have the Red Crowned Cranes left the collection, as they’re missed on that lake.
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Here is a link to a quick video of Fig’s new Home ;)
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Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!
 
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Strathmorezoo said:
Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!
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Everyone thought that the painful part was nearly over…
 
Strathmorezoo said:
Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!
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Completely different scenario, but this brings back memories for me of London Zoo in the early 1990s, none pleasant.

As horrific a thought as it is, what would be the more viable site to save if the worse was to happen?
 
Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay the back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!
Panthera1981 said:
Completely different scenario, but this brings back memories for me of London Zoo in the early 1990s, none pleasant.

As horrific a thought as it is, what would be the more viable site to save if the worse was to happen?
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I can also remember the horrible situation at London, let's hope that it works out OK,as it did for London
 
Strathmorezoo said:
Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay the back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!

I can also remember the horrible situation at London, let's hope that it works out OK,as it did for London
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Im happy to be corrected, but London had/has the advantage of being a more globally recognised institution and is not so reliable on seasonal visits/summer tourism
 
Strathmorezoo said:
Surely, a zoo to have a masterplan, needs lots of money? Paignton seems to me to be on its knees and skint!As i understand it,,the zoo has got pay back a loan to the government of £1,000,000 because of the pandemic. Hopefully the management can save both Paignton and Newquay, unfortunately I think it's going to be painful!
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I 100% disagree. Every single organisation that intends to be successful, needs a master plan, a vision, an end-goal. Paignton Zoo is a charitable organisation and so we (the people who donate/spend money) deserve to know how & why it’s being spent. To save species from extinction, to ‘halt species decline’, you have to have a plan, surely?
Many, many loyal supporters locally, have given up on Paignton Zoo - many of my own family, friends & colleagues - but, I swear they would consider returning if they could see what the new custodians were trying to do and what they wanted it to become by 2030 & beyond with their support?
Where does WPT & Paignton Zoo want to be at Xmas, summer 2025, 2030, 2050 etc….?
A plan (master plan) can evolve, be in stages, it can adapt, but to have no plan and to not share one if one exists, with its key stakeholders and investors - it’s either arrogance or stupidity, or deceitful at best!
So no, an organisation does not need to have lots of money to have a plan.
 
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A thought I have had. Is a demographic shift in the area hurting zoos?

Paignton was my local zoo growing up. After graduating university in the late 90s I got a job in another part of the country and moved away. So did the vast majority of my friends from school, only a couple stayed in the area.

For the last couple of decades, whenever a house has come up for sale in the village where I grew up it has almost always gone to a retired couple from another part of the country. There are certainly far fewer families with children in the area than there was when I was growing up.

Due to young adults moving away, that area has lost a generation of families, who would likely have visited the zoo several times and replaced them with retirees who are probably less likely to visit. I wonder if that is having a visit on local visitors to Paignton.
 
NMM said:
A thought I have had. Is a demographic shift in the area hurting zoos?

Paignton was my local zoo growing up. After graduating university in the late 90s I got a job in another part of the country and moved away. So did the vast majority of my friends from school, only a couple stayed in the area.

For the last couple of decades, whenever a house has come up for sale in the village where I grew up it has almost always gone to a retired couple from another part of the country. There are certainly far fewer families with children in the area than there was when I was growing up.

Due to young adults moving away, that area has lost a generation of families, who would likely have visited the zoo several times and replaced them with retirees who are probably less likely to visit. I wonder if that is having a visit on local visitors to Paignton.
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A really valid point. Quite possibly a contributor?
 
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The reality of the current situation isn't so much a "push" for new and needed projects but a backlog of a number of projects that stretch back months and are only now coming to completion.

In the case of the binturong I find it rather baffling and did at the time of its arrival that despite the coati being gone for a age, the binturong being in the pipeline for as long as it was to only NOW open that house for viewing and almost market it as a new enclosure- why not have it in its current state before that animal arrived while public interest was high to see it.

As much as the zoo wishes to act like it's situation is of circumstances out of its control these are simply not applicable, its management and it rots from the flower to root. Look at a handful of other given zoos that have climbed that hill and passed it.

Location location location- if you're a good zoo people will travel miles for you. Alton towers isn't down the road for me or thousands others but doesn't stop them. Make it worth coming too and right now it's not.

Would keep eyes on the zoos updates over the next month. Not every project will be complete.. don't need to say outloud which ones.
 
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